Java Developer Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

What Does a Java Developer Do?

Java developers specialize in creating applications and software solutions that use the Java programming language. Java is a popular and widely used programming language that can be used to develop a variety of software products, from mobile apps to web-based applications.

A Java developer typically develops, designs, tests, and maintains Java-based software applications. The developers use Java programming tools and frameworks to create software that meets the functional requirements of the application they are working on. Among other things, this involves working with databases, building user interfaces, and integrating APIs from third parties. In addition to a strong understanding of the Java programming language, Java developers must also understand the principles of software development, such as object-oriented programming, testing, and debugging.

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National Average Salary

Java developer salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.

The average U.S. salary for a Java Developer is:

$97,200

Java Developer Job Descriptions

Crafting the perfect job description may be the key to finding an exceptional Java developer. To help you with your recruiting search, our team has put together some examples from past openings.

Example 1

When you’re seeking to deliver mission-critical technology to fortune 500 companies, we want you to trust [Your company name] to handle the job. We’ve been in business for many years, and in that time, we’ve worked alongside some of the most recognized brands across the world. Right now, we’re looking to add a Java developer to our high-performance, agile team of experts.

If you’re looking to get your hands on some of the best API tech around and want experience as a Java developer in a collaborative environment, we’d love to hear from you!

Typical duties and responsibilities

  • Design, code, and integrate testing using agile methodology
  • Debug and troubleshoot code issues
  • Produce client deliverable along with documentation
  • Adapt to unique business and technical requirements for case-by-case projects
  • Practice strong configuration and version control
  • Act as the face of the company towards clients and consultants
  • Provide collaborative input and be able to work independently as necessary

Education and experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or related field
  • Working knowledge of current technology and methodologies

Required skills and qualifications

  • Experience with Java development
  • Excellent written and communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills for dealing with clients, teammates, and consultants
  • Flexible mentality for handling unique challenges
  • Great time management and organizational skills

Preferred qualifications

  • One year as a Java developer
  • Experience with React
  • Experience with Spring Boot
  • Experience facilitating and managing projects
  • Passion for learning Java

Example 2

If you love technology and want to work in a place where you can practice the art of good software design, this is a great opportunity to explore.

Key responsibilities

  • Technical analysis
  • Create development/unit testing plan
  • Code development & testing
  • Support unit, QA, and system testing of application code
  • Deliver commitments within timelines and quality parameters

Education, skills, and experience needed

  • Four-year bachelor’s in computer science, engineering, or a related technical field
  • The candidate must have 2 – 5 years hands-on development experience using Java (version 8.x) & J2EE
  • The candidate must have hands on experience with open-source application servers such as Apache Tomcat
  • Demonstrate working knowledge of Spring/Spring boot, JPA
  • Demonstrate working knowledge of Restful and SOAP web services
  • Demonstrate working knowledge of Spring Batch, Javascript, Angular.JS, and HTML5
  • Demonstrate working knowledge of leading solutions that we have employed: Maven, Jenkins, Git & Github, JSON, XML, Docker, Rest client, Postman, etc.
  • Good to have experience in No-SQL database preferably MongoDB
  • Java certifications preferred
  • A team player with good communication skills
  • Customer service orientation
  • This is a remote position and can be located anywhere in continental U.S. or Canada

Example 3

You should have good experience in building high-performing, scalable, enterprise-grade applications, and be able to write clean code and ensure your programs run properly. We expect you to be comfortable with the HTTP protocol, REST APIs, web servers and data processing. We also expect you to be passionate about building software, able to take ownership of problems, and work well on a team as well as take individual ownership of projects (e.g. feature development).

Duties

  • Design and develop high-volume, low-latency applications for enterprise-level systems with high availability and performance
  • Create well-designed, testable, efficient code
  • Participate in all phases of the development lifecycle
  • Take initiative to improve the code you work in (i.e. leave every place better than you found it), and investigate alternatives and technologies in order to support continuous improvement

Experience

  • Strong experience in software development, and particularly in test-driven development
  • 2+ years experience of working in a Java Developer position preferred
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with close attention to detail
  • You’ll get bonus points if you have:
  • Experience of object-oriented analysis and design using common design patterns
  • Good knowledge of relational databases, SQL, and ORM technologies—including JPA2 and Hibernate
  • Good knowledge of distributed analytics (e.g. Redshift, Kibana, Elasticsearch, etc.)
  • Good knowledge of at least one popular web framework (e.g. Jersey, JSF, Wicket, GWT, Spring MVC, etc.)
  • Strong communication, teamwork, and time-management skills

Example 4

Duties

  • Develop new applications and reporting per request
  • Provide Level 3 support for inbound data file conversion, payment processing, and data reporting
  • Work directly with our Integration Solutions department to translate development requests
  • Complete data setups and file regeneration by client request
  • Conduct local QA testing and assist other teams with QA as needed during the Software Development Life Cycle
  • Build and maintain team Standard Operating Procedure documents
  • Other tasks and projects as assigned

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, related technical degree or commensurate experience is required
  • 2+ years Java experience preferred
  • 2+ years experience with SQL preferred
  • Implementing microservices which use the spring boot framework
  • Connecting microservices to interact with databases
  • Experience working with tools like Git, Maven, JFrog, UDeploy, etc.
  • Demonstrate programming skills using JSON, Web Services, SQL, etc.
  • Working knowledge with Oracle or Mongo DB databases
  • C# experience is a plus
  • Proficient at research for troubleshooting and developing solutions
  • Ability to assess an issue and escalate as appropriate
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
  • Proactive work style and creative problem solver who can handle multiple projects, demonstrating a strong work ethic
  • Excellent attention to detail, quality, and follow-through; commitment to continuous improvement and the elimination of performance variability
  • Demonstrated ability to adapt to rapidly changing requirements with a flexible and creative approach to brainstorming, troubleshooting, and problem solving

Candidate Certifications to Look For

  • Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer (OCAJP) – This certification is the first of two exams. In order to become “Oracle Certified,” candidates will want to obtain this as a first step in their certification journey. There are plenty of recommended resources and courses to study before the exam.
  • Oracle Certified Professional Java Programmer (OCPJP) – Moving into more complicated territory, the OCPJP focuses on core Java concepts and further solidifies the foundation that the OCAJP provides. Candidates can brush up by studying online courses, or they can self-learn at their own pace.
  • Oracle Certified Expert – Web Component Developer (OCEWCD) – The OCEWCD demonstrates a candidate’s ability to operate with a significant degree of understanding. They’ll want to grab this certification if they’re looking to stand out amongst their peers when handling JavaServer Pages and Servlet Technologies, like Servlet 3.0, to provide dynamic web content. Candidates need to pass the OCAJP and OCPJP first to qualify for this certification.
  • Apache Spark Developer Certification (HDPCD) – This Hortonworks University certification provides a hands on, performance based look at the Hortonworks Data Platform. This will certify candidates have a thorough understanding of Spark Core and Spark SQL within Scala or Python. This is an excellent certification to obtain if candidates are planning on moving into a big data workplace or looking to become a data scientist.
  • Professional Scrum Master Certification (PSM I) – The PSM is globally accepted as the most popular of Agile methodology certifications. If candidates are looking to become a Java developer, or any developer for that matter, obtaining certification to demonstrate their understanding of the Agile methodology is vital in today’s IT world. Additionally, if they step into a leadership role, having scrum master certification will significantly help their application.
  • Project Management Professional Certification (PMP) – This certification is globally recognized as one of the most reputed professional management courses offered by the Project Management Institute. Based on the PMBOK Guide, this course focuses on 5 processes and 47 knowledge areas tailored to prepare candidates for the latest business requirements. This is for advanced users moving into a project management position or looking to provide serious value towards collaborative efforts.

Sample Interview Questions

  • What are some of the recent projects that you have worked on?
  • What do you consider to be the major features of Java?
  • What’s the difference between a path and a classpath variable?
  • Is Java Pass By or Pass By Reference?
  • What’s the final Keyword in Java?
  • What are the access modifiers in Java?
  • What’s a static import?
  • What is Enum?
  • What is Composition?
  • Can you explain the Java Reflection API?
  • What’s the volatile keyword?
  • How would you write a custom exception?
  • What is OutOfMemoryError?
  • Can you have an empty catch block?
  • What are the types of JDBC drivers?

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